Posted on 03/12/2008 2:12:40 PM PDT by RabidBartender
NEW YORK (CNN) -- It's been a year since the parents of a severely disabled child made public their decision to submit their daughter to a hysterectomy, breast surgery and drugs to keep the girl forever small. Today, the couple tell CNN, they believe they made the right decision -- one that could have a profound impact on the care of disabled children worldwide.
"The 'Ashley treatment' has been successful in every expected way," Ashley's parents told CNN exclusively in a lengthy e-mail interview. "It has potential to help many others like it helped our precious daughter."
While unwavering in their belief in the treatment, Ashley's parents continue to insist on anonymity. In the year since Ashley's parents went public, not only did the hospital that sterilized Ashley admit it broke Washington state law, but also the doctor who treated Ashley committed suicide.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I remember this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1761948/posts
from last year.
Very controversial.
My son has Down Syndrome, and now that he’s 14 and pretty soon will be bigger than me (not hard to do since I’m only about 5’1”) I have found that it was so much easier to deal with him when he was smaller. If he didn’t want to take a bath, all I had to do was pick him up and take him into the bathroom, can’t do that now, though.
I can understand where these parents are coming from, they want to be able to take of their child and not have to put their child in some institution if it becomes difficult to take care of her at home. Don’t know if I’d be able to do what they did, though.
Really? Anybody know if it was directly related to the Ashley case or something else?
I remember this case from last year. Wow... what a tough case.
She won’t need drugs for this. She functions roughly at the level of a three month infant.
If you have ever had to move or clean an incapacitated person anywhere near your own size, you will know how difficult this is. She is now much more likely to be spared bedsores and pneumonia, both of which can kill.
Arthur Caplan, the bioethicist quoted, says the proper solution would be health aides and home assistance. Ask people in the real world how well that works out.
Honestly, this little girl would seem to just about meet his criteria for non-person. If the parents had been minded another way, they could have had Caplan’s support for withdrawal of nutrition.
The family has been given a hard road in life. God bless them and keep them.
It’s worth a look to click the link in post # 2.
Here is the link to the family’s blog:
http://ashleytreatment.spaces.live.com/blog/
FWIW. I think Ashley’s parents are courageous and did the right thing.
Easier than calling them what they are--children. I know a woman who had a severely retarded child--much like this Ashley is described. He grew to fairly normal stature, although he couldn't walk, lived well into his twenties totally dependent on her for care, from changing diapers to feeding. She loved this boy and to my knowledge or anyone else's, never questioned or complained. Extended family members supported and helped her. And her other, normal children, learned things about family, humanity, and parental love that this pathetic, monstrous couple will never even guess at.
God bless you.
The sterilization part should be a no brainer. No periods, no risk of pregnancy by rape. The hormonal supression, though, I would need more information on the safety of it before passing judgement.
I give the parents credit for taking care of their disabled child. I am sure it is not an easy road. Therefore, I am inclined to believe they want what is best for her and that they are in a better position than I am to make that choice. This is a tough one...but I am going with the parents...
She’s a very beautiful and seemingly happy little girl.
I support the parents’ decision here.
I totally agree. I had a cousin who lived to the age of 26 like this. His parents did all his care at home and they struggled with it although they never complained. By the time he was in his 20s, my aunt near 60 and it was hard for her to carry a 5’6” adult around the house, especially one that can’t help support his own weight. He was kept immaculately clean, never any bedsores or rashes. For years he had to be fed pureed or liquid foods, then he had to have a feeding tube implanted. Their older daughters helped while teens but they went off to college, got married and moved, joined the service etc. There weren’t a lot of people they could have in to ‘babysit’ as his needs were so great. And even the best neighbors don’t usually help every day for 25 years.
But there was very little assistance with home care. Oh, they had some, and some inhome PT, but home health might give you a few hours a week. Enough to maybe take your own shower and grab some lunch. They come and oversee medications or bathing but even the best insurance doesn’t pay for everything, forever. It won’t pay for a night nurse to come so you can sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. There’s usually a cap on things like that. When you’re talking a lifetime - as opposed to a six-week recovery time from surgery - you reach that cap very quickly. This guy has obviously no concept of the reality of relying on ‘home assistance’.
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